Attitudinal Differences Among Residents, Park Staff, and Visitors Toward Coyotes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada

Abstract

We explored differences and similarities among local residents, park staff, and visitors in their (a) attitudes toward, (b) fear of, (c) perceived control over, and (d) perceived likelihood of coming into contact with coyotes. Data were collected near Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada, where a coyote caused a human fatality in 2009. Local residents were mailed a questionnaire (n = 578; 76%) in 2011. Park staff completed the questionnaire (n = 124) in 2011 and visitors were interviewed on trails in 2011 and 2012 (n = 375). The Potential for Conflict Index2 (PCI2) was used to examine differences among these groups. Residents held more negative attitudes, reported more fear, felt less in perceived control, and reported a higher perceived likelihood of seeing a coyote than park staff and visitors. Understanding different interest-group attitudes toward coyotes facilitates the design of specialized messages to ensure different stakeholders receive appropriate information.